The Last Train To Hogwarts
by Desert Lotus
Summary: "It's the journey that matters, not the destination."    For five teens, it's going to be a long journey.
1. The Scorpion's Instinct

**Author's Note:**

**I'll rarely post another Author's Note because of the discontinuity it may cause. Back to topic, this fiction is geared towards an idea we friends had. 'Let's all go to Hogwarts!' :D Anyways, there are going to be five POVs in this fic, each coming one after the other, one chapter for each. Reviews are appreciated and welcome. Thanks for reading it..**

**I believe the starting 10-15 chapters are not going to be top notch... the other four writers aren't experts after all but I'm sure all of them will improve.**

**Later. :)**

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Portsmouth

10 Years Earlier

A tall figure walked across the docks, feeling the cold harsh wind biting his face. His dark cloak flapped around the edges, sending chills down his spine. He quickened his pace as he felt close to his destination… so close… he would reach there soon. He smiled grimly in satisfaction. The last piece of the jigsaw fit correctly. Suddenly he halted. Obscured by mist, he could still make out the faint writing on the tattered old sign. _Rosedale's_ _Orphanage._

Stealth was going to be the key here. A simple Unlocking Spell Alohomora from his birch wand took care of the door as it opened inwards, creaking slightly. The chilly November winds rustled through the trees, dropping off snow. Despite his flimsy cloak, he showed no signs of being cold. The old battered door opened with a small creak.

The hallway was dark. Presumably, all the occupants were asleep. He crept forwards, a single candle on the mantelpiece guiding him ahead. His shadow flickered on the wall, illuminating the old framed newspaper clippings that adorned the damp walls. Paying the slightest amount of attention to them, he went forward in search. He had to find the solution.

The clock chimed eight.

He located the room. His heartbeat quickened in anticipation. This was going to be the end. This would finally solve it all. He opened the door in a swift, fluid motion…. teenagers. He wasn't looking for a bunch of egomaniac homeless teens. He flicked his hair in irritation and exited the room.

The clock chimed nine.

Next room. Girls were sleeping peacefully. A thin line formed around his mouth. He was getting impatient. In annoyance, he stopped for a bit. _Think, come on. You need to do better than this._ He isolated all thought from his being, shaking his head as he did this. _Concentrate. _He focused on the memory he had seen.

He knew where to go now. Smiling, he went forward.

Finally. He reached it. The infant section.

Tens of babies slept peacefully in the small room. The darkness didn't dissuade him a bit.

'Lumos!'

The tip of his wand illuminated to a powerful source of light. He would have a tall order picking up the perfect host. He swept his dark gaze on the innocent sleeping masses…

The clock chimed ten.

There! The perfect one. Dark hair? Check. Strong body? Check. That might just do it. Feeling just the tiniest bit of guilt for shaping the destiny of this child without his consent, he wen forward with it nevertheless.

With a swish of his wand, he summoned the sleeping baby from the crib. Masterfully, he then called out a name into the nothingness. 'Antonio?'

With a loud crack, what appeared to be a batty old rag appeared. Funnily enough, the batty rag had large eyes and what appeared to be ears. A ragged and dusty cloth was the only garment it wore.

'Yes, master?', the house elf tremblingly asked, as if wincing after looking at the pale face of the person who had summoned him.

The clock chimed eleven.

'Take the child. And the cat, too. You know what to do. Guard the child with your life. That's your last order, Antonio.'

With a swift, decisive nod, the house elf disapparated with another loud crack. This time vanishing the child with him.

The vacant face of the potions master looked on grimly as he disapparated too. Severus Snape had a long night.

The clock chimed twelve. Midnight.

* * *

**SHREY**

Street life in India can be hard. _Really_ hard. To survive, you have to show no mercy. This is what I have learnt in the ten years of my existence on this pathetic spinning ball we call Earth. It's every man for himself, people.

I grew up in the confines of the wretched school hall in Cochin, a metropolis in the southernmost state of India, Kerala. There were fourteen of us. Fourteen orphans bundled up in a small room with cracked walls. Summers were scorching hard. Winters were freezing cold. Monsoon was even worse, when the ceiling would start leaking, making the room even more damp and depressing.

If there was one consolation, it was Madam Miriam. She was a Human Rights activist who visited every Saturday. Upon her visit, she always got us sweets and a healthy dose of love. The two hours she spent with us brought the only salvation in this hellhole. I was exceptionally close to her, learning English from her and always sitting by her side. I was overjoyed when she got me my only book, _Key To The Stars, _a book on zodiac signs.

'You are a Scorpio, just like me, Shrey. Scorpios are the true fighters who stand up for others. We are the protectors. I know you'll rise from here, son.' These are the words I remember hearing from her. These are her words that are etched into my very soul.

* * *

It was another Saturday when things went wrong. Horribly wrong. It's funny when stuff changes from bad to total shit storm in a lesser amount of time than it takes to spell your name backwards.

That day, she never came. I was waiting at the door for signs of her familiar white Fiesta. The sound of it's honking never came. I was crestfallen. When there's only one person that matters to you, and even they deceive you, it feels terrible.

Next Saturday, same story. No car. No Madam Miriam. No sweets. No love. Nothing to look forward to. _Nothing. _Life seemed at the epitome of nothingness when I heard the news.

* * *

They shot her.

"The press regretfully announces the brutal cold-blooded murder of erstwhile popular resident of Cochin, Ms. Elizabeth Miriam. Ms. Miriam, a Human Rights activist was shot down by a gang of chain robbers on the Trivandrum-Cochin express highway. Evidently, the robbers were after 2007 White Ford Fiesta, which is missing from the scene of crime. Meanwhile, Police Inspector V. Raman has said that he will be doing his best to prosecute the ones behind this murder."

It was horrible.

Ms. Miriam… gone forever. The only friend I ever had. My only link to the world outside of this abominable life had perished.

Something broke in me that day. It was like a bottle crashing and releasing it's contents into me…. I felt powerful… I felt strong… I felt wisdom entombing me…

A blue aura engulfed me….. levitating me four feet above the ground…. I could sense my eyes radiating a pale white glow… I could feel my insides going white-hot….

And suddenly, I was back on my feet. In the same room, as if nothing had happened. Privately I was thankful that nobody had seen me. Everything was back to normal. Except for one thing.

I knew who the murderers were.

* * *

The energy that had grown inside me had done one thing. Somehow, it had channeled what I wanted to know the most and given me the answer- the details of the robbers.

My inner senses told me that the robbers were hanging out behind Trafalgar's Square near the Westport Mall.

I started walking.

* * *

After two hours of incessant car dodging, I finally reached the dingy motel.

The torn signboard was covered in grime, dirt strewn all over. My raven hair waved in the wind. I proceeded forwards, knocking aside the feeble door with one swing of my arm. The fat man at the reception barely registered the existence of my small ten year old frame. Ignoring him, I proceeded forwards. My new senses told me exactly where the robbers were hanging out. I walked past a series of doors until I came face-to-face with Room 108.

_Am I going to do this? Hell yeah! _

Talking to yourself. First sign of insanity.

* * *

I broke open the door with inhuman strength. The splintered remains of the frame directed towards one of the trio, hitting him squarely on the chest. Instant death.

I punched the other guy on the solar plexus with all my might. As he doubled over in pain, I cleanly snapped off his neck in one solid blow. Handy talents for a ten year old.

I could see the shock in the bewildered eyes of the last guy. It must have looked insane, a small child with _Key To The Stars _in one hand killing people left and right.

'With compliments from Madam Miriam,' I smirked. I could feel something possessing me. I had to get out. I had to stop. My hands raised of their own accord and released a green bolt of energy that hit the panicking man squarely on the chest.

_Astounding, I'm special._

And then I felt weak and powerless. I felt the strength sapping out of me.

I fainted.


	2. The Darkness Within

**SHREYA**

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Blimey. My birthday's in two days. I hadn't ever dreaded my birthday so much. This time however, it was different. I was going to be 11 in two days' time. And we all know what happens when you get 11. You go to ...

I had been flinching away from the word as much as I could. Somehow, it horrified me. It scared me to even think about it. But deep inside I knew I would have to go, whether I liked it or not.

I was a witch, I knew that. Just like mom. My parents had attended "the place" too but they weren't scared of it. They were brave - one of the many things I just hoped to have inherited from them. Both Aurors. I was expected to join them when I'll be of age but I knew and they knew that it was not necessary. I could pursue anything I wanted to. That's the way it worked at home.

For some reason I do not know, mom was excited to be visiting platform 9 and three-quarters again. I didn't even know if I would receive the letter. There was always that tiny bit of hope I had inside that I wouldn't. But who could defy the inevitable.

The Daily Prophet lay on the table in front of me, the pictures moving as they always did. It was a cloudy afternoon. The headlines beamed from the newspaper- " World smiles with the end of the Dark Lord". Underneath it , the Minister of Magic smiled a 32 -tooth wide smile along with the Heads of various Departments in the Ministry.

Twenty one years ago , the Ministry had refused to believe that the Dark Lord was back. I remembered the times. I was still unborn at that time (but old Quibbler magazines can tell you a lot if you have time and the patience to ignore all the crap they come with). Nobody was supposed to leave their houses unaccompanied. It was surely a dark era. The end of it seemed like a bright, happy sun after a windy, cold night. But somehow, this did not seem the end of it. This was one of the main reasons I dreaded "the place". It just didn't fit. How could something so bad , so evil , so ugly end so quickly ? Sure, it had produced some great wizarding geniuses. Geniuses who gave me the strength to think about the place, wonder what it would be like. But not in some years had I wondered about it aloud.

* * *

Mom woke me up with a kiss on the forehead . It was the 22nd of May- my birthday. I was 11 for a total of 10 hours and not once had I felt afraid. Was it the age factor ? Or had I become so used to feeling that way that I no longer wished to ? Yes, this would be it. My resolution for the next year. With a quick promise to myself that I would not freak out with the mention of the word , I headed downstairs for breakfast. Two toasts and a cup of coffee- my regular. I wondered whether I'd get this at Hogwarts. There, I said it. And you know what , it doesn't sound so bad.

Following the opening of my presents, mom showed me the thing I knew she would. Why she would save it for last, I had no idea. There it was- Spotlessly white and a glowing symbol on top. You didn't have to be a genius to identify the symbol. Four creatures sprawled across it and an 'H' lay dignified in the center.

I didn't rush through the envelope, taking time to sift through the contents. It contained a letter and a note containing the list of books I'd require for first year classes. I read the note first considering Diagon Alley was my third favourite place to visit. A list of books glanced up at me. I wasn't unfamiliar with the names. I had read the titles a million times on my trips to Flourish and Blotts.

The letter seemed calm and serene- the green ink overflowing with words written by a beautiful hand.

**"Dear Ms. Ghai, **

**We are pleased to inform you that we have a place for you at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary tools and equipment.**

**Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl no later than 31st July. "**

It was signed by the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher (as my parents told me) , Minerva McGonagall.

The thought of leaving home - mom, dad, my room, my neighbours, the garden , everything- got me wondering. It was something I had never experienced before. No. 121 Horseback Lane was my safe spot. It was something that I knew I would always have , no matter what. It was something that I could always run to and something that I would never run away from. Would I ever be able to adjust in an unknown place ? Go and find peace- not peace, comfort- in a place away from home ? Was everybody expected to do that ? Did everybody expect me to do that ? No answer came from within. Maybe there was no answer. There would never be a place I would like more than my parents' arms and never would there be a place I would feel at home-at comfort - more than Horseback Lane. Of that , I was drop-dead sure .

My parents sat on the adorable, little futon I loved to read my books on. They wore an expression that can only be described as proud. I tried my best to look excited but some things cannot be hidden. The look I wore was expression-less. Was it so hard to smile? I wondered. No, it wasn't. I knew that and I had to be happy. I tried to force a smile but you can't hide anything from your mom. Especially my mom ! She's like this detector of my emotions that beeps every time that it senses anything out of the picture.

So, as expected , I was confronted a precise 5 minutes later. "What's the matter? " , asked mom. "Well, it's just about Hogwarts", I replied. "What about Hogwarts? " , was her pop-up question. "Nothing in particular. But just some things I'm worried about . "

"Do you wanna talk about it ? "

" Umm. Not exactly ..", I said when she interrupted me with , "I'm gonna let you think about it because I know you're brave and you're gonna figure this out real soon . I'm here always if you need me". Lies, all lies. I wasn't brave. I was scared, hell-scared. With this , she left my room , leaving me alone to ponder.

I thought about a ton of things ranging from what things I had to pack, what shopping I had to do to what people I would meet there. Would they be nice and kind? Would they be arrogant and selfish ? Would we see the birth of a new Voldemort ? And no, I am not scared of calling you-know-who Voldemort. Funny name, Voldemort. Had anybody ever wondered what it meant ? For the record, I had. It had no meaning as such. How boring ! You know , sometimes I wondered why he did all of this. And surprisingly, maybe I came up with an alternative answer to the hungry for power one. Mine goes like this - He had a boring name. No friends. He killed his family. He had nobody in the world. He dint even have a nose! That poor thing. He was just a name- a boring , dull name that everybody feared (and maybe he liked that). So, to add some "spice" in his life, he began murdering and torturing people for fun. The truth was that -yeah, I agree he was hungry for power, liked to torture people, felt angry because he didn't have a normal childhood - he was just bored and stupid. Proving that he was the best , the conqueror of the world, the Lord, did him no good.

So, I thought , if Hogwarts had produced students like Voldemort and his followers plus, geniuses like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and my favourite Hermoine Granger among others, maybe it wasn't such a bad place. I'd never had the courage to adapt to things easily but I'd always thought that it was worth a try. I re-read my acceptance letter and fell into bed with a shushed thud. I would definitely give the school a try. Afterall, my parents loved it and I could see no reason why I couldn't.


	3. Breaking Away

**SAGARIKA**

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I have something special in me. It's just known to me. Mary, my best friend, says it's bizarre but I'd call it special. Ever since I made the guy- responsible for vanishing the green around my place - bloat, I have this confirmed in my mind that I'm unique, extra-ordinary. I always get what I deeply desire for. There have been quite a few times when horrific things just happened to people who made me infuriated. At times, I'm oblivious to the fact that it's me who's doing unusual things to people. Like, one moment I'm plainly imagining of doing bad things to them and at the other, those things are actually happening to them. It's all so mysterious!

The place I inhabit is surrounded by forests, for I live at Thulamela, Lompopo in South Africa. I go for a stroll in the forest each day to experiment with my peculiarities, which is pretty much the only activity in my otherwise boring routine that I look forward to. School is dreary and dull as ever which is bound to happen when there are only 5 students in my grade other than me, thanks to the less than 5 persons per km. sq. population of my district.

In my 11 long years of existence, I haven't felt the tiniest bit of interest for studies. What difference does it make if you know all the math formulae and the names of kings and queens? None! It's all useless. Given a chance, I would give up education for ever without hesitation.

* * *

It was surprisingly cool for a summer evening. Gusts of winds were blowing, making it difficult for me to walk against their direction. I was in the woods for my evening stroll. That day, there was something mystical about the aura of the tall trees and the innumerable forms of life that were imbedded in them. The birds chirped more than usual and the crickets' squeaks were overwhelmingly loud. As I walked deeper into the forest (I'm too familiar with the ways to get lost) I saw floating fur, half hidden behind the long woods. A lot of fur. The giant ball of fur was unfortunately nearing me. Perplexed, I had no clue what to do. I stood there foolishly, waiting for the worse to come. A minute later, I noticed it was not a giant ball of fur; it was actually a gigantic, massive wolf. Perhaps the largest creature I'd ever seen in my life! It let out a scathing roar. It petrified me. I could not move a limb. It was as if every inch of my body was frozen with fear. It seemed so angry that it could rip apart any thing which came in its way. The winds intensified as if they sensed the commodious amount of anger. "Grrrrr!" It let out another spine-chilling roar. Then, there was an uncanny silence. The chirping of the birds and insects stopped all of a sudden. It was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop.

The wolf was just a few metres away from me when two things happened simultaneously. One, an owl landed down and dropped a strange and ancient looking letter right into my hands. Two, it was followed by a beautiful bird and as soon as it approached, the wolf disappeared as if it was subjected to magic that vanished things. A bare-chested man stood at exactly the same position instead.

The man asked in a husky voice, "What are you doing here?"

It made me drop the letter in my hands.

" Came here for a walk." Was what I answered.

"Did you see it?" I asked. He said absurdly, "See what?"

"The gigantic wolf. It was here moments ago and when the bird appeared, it just went away and that's when I saw you. It was like the wolf transformed into you or something."

He was sweating, looking guilty, if I guessed the look accurately. He said,"Transformed into me? Are you insane? And no, I didn't see any wolf. You're imagining things, kid. Go back home. You might get lost. The jungle's not a safe place for you to be wandering around alone."

I wanted to argue but I then decided it'd be safer if I returned back home. I had a lot to ponder upon on my way back home. First of all, how could there be an owl at 5 in the evening? It wasn't even dark! Second of all, why did the man claim that he didn't see the wolf when it was exactly at the same spot where he was standing seconds ago? Third of all, why did the wolf slip away at the arrival of the beautiful bird?

There was no connection at all. It was so vague and discrete. It had just been a very, very strange and convoluted day. What ever these happenings meant, they intrigued me, not to forget, scared the hell out of me. I sprinted back home.

The Letter! I left it in the forest! How could I be so irresponsible? It sure had something surreptitious in it as the era of delivering letters via birds was long gone. Maybe I was so stunned that I forgot all about the letter at that instant. No use regretting now. The past can't be undone.

My bad mood must have been reflecting in my face because as soon as I reached home mom was all concerned. I told her it was nothing and went straight into my room.

I lied down and tried to make sense of all that happened today. I slept restlessly.

* * *

"Sagarika! Wake up! There's someone at the door who wants to see you. Come! It's urgent."

"Whassamatter?" , I replied sluggishly.

"Five minutes and I want you in the living room."

I realized there was something serious going on. I rushed out of bed and got dressed as fast as I could.

Anxiously, I entered the room. A tall man wearing a cloak was seated on the couch. My dad on his left and mum on the right.

"Hello Ms. Sagarika. I'm Flintus Regus, president of the welfare of Muggle-born Students Department at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm pleased to inform you that you have the extra-ordinary ability to do magic. You're a witch and you have a place at Hogwarts, England."

I wanted to jump with joy. I could do magic! I was going through a pinch-me-it's-a-dream moment. Who knew such abilities even existed? Not only were there other people who could do magic, but also there was a school teaching such techniques.

Questions popped up in my mind like fireworks. I didn't know which one to ask first.

"What do you mean by 'muggle'? Are you sure I'm a witch?" I asked

"Muggles refer to non-magical persons. For instance, your parents are Muggles. Yes, I am 100 per cent sure that you are a witch. You might have had experiences where whatever you wanted happened due to extreme anger, I suppose?", He replied with a gentle smile.

"Yeah. I have had such experiences.", I said

He took out a letter from his pocket, not unlike the one I received the previous day.

"This is a letter for you confirming your place at Hogwarts. It also includes a list of the books and equipments you're going to need for your first year. I'm here to advice and help you buy them and to enlighten you more about Hogwarts.", Flintus Regus said.

"Brilliant!", I exclaimed, taking the letter.

I opened the letter immediately. The words were written in emerald green ink and in a flawless handwriting.

Dear

Miss Jain, We are pleased to inform you that we have a place for you at Hogwarts School

of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary tools and equipment.

Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl no later than 31st July.

Minerva McGonagall.

Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts

I then opened the enclosed list to find a long list of robes, equipment and books I'd never heard of. I read out loud -

_"Uniform_

_First year students will require –_

_sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One pointed hat (black)_

_3. A pair pf protective gloves_

_winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Set books_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following –_

_1. The standard book of spells (grade one) by Miranda Goshawk_

_2. A history of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_3. Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_4. A Beginner's guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_5. One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_6. Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_7. Fantastic beasts and where to find them by Newt Scamander_

_8. The Dark Forces : a Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_Other Equipment_

_1. 1 wand_

_2. 1 cauldron(standard size)_

_3. 1 set of glass or crystal phials_

_4. 1 telescope_

_5. 1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl, cat or toad."_

It sounded so very interesting. I was going delirious.

Mum and dad looked confused but I knew Mr. Regus would explain them everything and there'd be no confusion.


End file.
